Faculty Training at Brown

There are many students who have serious mental health issues on this campus, and these issues are often aggravated by both extreme academic stress, and the stigma of mental illness propagated by students and, unfortunately, administrators.There are patterns of issues within CAPS that many students with more serious mental illnesses-- or extensive, yet momentary, personal strife-- have experienced on a repetitious (and almost predictable) basis. These patterns have presented themselves to us by way of anonymous submissions, handfuls of in-person testimonies, and overheard comments about CAPS in general social interactions.

We believe that mandatory training of faculty is essential in order to facilitate and improve students’ trust of Brown administration.If faculty and administrations take care to speak in a way that does not trigger, alienate, or make students feel unsafe, the bond between Brown’s administration and Brown’s student body will be greatly enhanced. Widespread training on mental illnesses and common issues of student mental health would decrease the amount of unnecessary shame students receive for their chemical, neurobiological illness. Students have told us that certain administrators and faculty members are hesitant to “trust” them because of their openness about their mental illnesses, and are quick to encourage a leave of absence at the first mention of an issue of mental health. It is against the law to shut a student out of a working position on campus or to refuse them reentry into Brown, even if such a student had, for example, a manic episode.We think it imperative to communicate our belief that, for some struggling students, taking a leave of absence is the most effective course of treatment their mental health. If a student is indeed a harm to themselves or others, or cannot complete the necessary coursework at Brown, then perhaps this student would benefit from taking a step away from their college schoolwork in order to focus on bettering their mental health. Such a request from administrators must not be seen as inherently misguided or malicious. As well, as a student body, we must work to destigmatize the act of taking a leave of absence. Such a leave is not “giving up” on school or giving into administration. As a group, we are well aware that leaves can provide crucial time for students to assess their current situation and come back to campus in a better state of mind.However, in order for students to trust that the recommendations given by administration are in fact useful and well-intentioned, administration, CAPS employees and general faculty must understand that a mental illness-- such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder-- is a lifelong illness and constant battle. Such students cannot simply be expected to leave Brown for a year of inactivity and come back “fixed.” Again, we realize this rhetoric is not what is intended for the leave-taking process as a whole.However, this fear has been expressed by students who have felt overly pressured to take a leave, even when their medical practitioners encouraged the student to stay in school. Students who are dealing with academic hardships due to their mental illness, and are seeing an outside therapist or are working with CAPS, should be given adequate accommodations and not be presented with the idea of taking a leave of absence as a simple solution. In fact, in situations in which the student does not feel supported by their home life and/or is financially unstable, a “forced” or “heavily encouraged” leave can oftentimes result in decreased mental wellness.We understand that the number of students who experience these situations may be limited in number in comparison with the student body at large. However, the Brown student community looks after its own, and with this ardent loyalty comes extreme concern for even just one student’s well being. We are extremely worried about the testimonies we have received from students. We want to alleviate the stress experienced by students who question Brown mental health resources and refuse to speak with administration about personal or mental health issues. Such students may become a risk to themselves. We very much would like it if these students felt safe in their interactions with Brown, and for this to happen, Brown administration and faculty must be educated in the nature of mental illnesses and must acknowledge past mistakes made in interacting with students with a diagnosed mental illness. An example of how mental health stigma is propagated can be found in a quote said by a guest presenter, Dr. Gregory Eells from Cornell’s CAPS, whose appearance on Brown’s campus was LETS and CAPS co-sponsored; a debatable statement he made went along the lines of, “no matter how hard your finals are remember your struggle is nothing like being in a concentration camp.” This speaker, in our opinion, made a handful of inappropriate comments in regard to mental illness. We understand that this individual is not a member of Brown’s faculty. However, this type of rhetoric is widespread, and is sometimes used by Brown faculty members and professors. The lack of understanding of the permanent nature of a mental illness is something we wish to combat.